Thursday, February 26, 2009

Why I'm so pissed off about Top Chef.

Yeah, Top Chef. I'm pissed off about it, wanna make something of it? Let's just start by saying Hosea is not the Top Chef. Sure he started off strong, and early on was identified as the one to beat, but as the competition went on, he floundered. I mean, at one point he even screwed up his big fish dish, and he's the chef at a seafood restaurant. And in the last few episodes he did everything he could to throw everyone else under the bus. Come on!

Ok, Stephan was an ass, but he really knew how to cook. And he was versatile. When other chefs had bad circumstances, he'd jump in and help. He even said that if he won, he wanted to win on the merits of his food, not because of someone else's bad luck. That's the real game, isn't it. Sure he had a shitty attitude, was cocky as hell, refused all critique and didn't seem to understand what "lesbian" means, but he knew his food. And he wasn't the Top Chef either.

And then there's Carla. Or Beaker as we called her around here. She made mistakes, but she owned them. If she fucked up, she called it herself before anyone else had to point it out for her. She never tried to foil her competition, she tried to cook good food. And she had some amazing success. As Tom said, when she cooked from her heart, her food was outstanding. So why'd she lose? Because she listened to someone else and compromised her own vision. Because they put the entire verdict of the show on one freakin' meal. Because she had too much integrity as a chef to put something on the plate that she knew was wrong. And it pisses me off. She deserved to win, not some dumb asshat who played the game as though it was Culinary Survivor.

Why shouldn't she be able to say, "I tried something different and I wouldn't do it again." or "I refuse to serve a dessert that is less than perfect." Why can't the one who takes criticism in stride, the one who plays well with others and the one who really got the point of the process win for a change? Because in this case it's a little too much like real life. And that pisses me off too.

7 comments:

I completely agree. I hate the concept of screwing over other contestants as part of the game (i.e. survivor). Why does that behavior get rewarded over and over? If you've ever watched Hells Kitchen you'll know what I mean. It's ridiculous. . .And yet, I can't stop watching (insert self loating here:) )

dude...top chef is done...when do i get my project runway? the 2 networks are still in dispute, but it already finished being filmed with the final contestants showing their stuff at NY fashion week in feb 2009. dude....i need my wednesday night fix (other than sawyer with his shirt off on LOST)

In April of 2005, my husband and I packed up our two dogs and toddler and moved to Seattle from the San Francisco Bay area. Shortly after our move, I became pregnant with our second child. As exciting as this was, it definitely put a cramp in my ability to explore our new home town. I'm still working hard at adjusting to the new digs.
As a working mom to two small boys, I manage to keep pretty busy. Between business meetings, play dates and pediatrician appointments, there isn't much time left for personal pursuits. But that is a trade off I am willing to make. I'll find time for myself when the boys are old enough to borrow the car, right?
And as though that isn't enough, when we moved we bought our first house, a major fixer upper. Yeah, we wanted the "this Old House" experience, but little did I realize that it would lead to such great experiences, like the sudden loss of running water from a broken water main, or a leaky sewer pipe that kept the toilet off limits for days.
All I can say is that life sure is interesting!